In the last couple of months, Aros Marine have seen a growing interest in research for alternative furniture and accessories solutions in both newbuild and refurbishment projects. This shift in customer behavior originates from the global slowdown caused by the current pandemic. It will potentially have long-term impact on the industry. Aros Marine has drawn the conclusion that businesses are looking for innovative ways to cut costs.
Aros Marine have been researching alternative furniture and accessories for more than 5 years now. They have evolved to have a fully functioning design lab, led by their head designer, Mantas Lataitis. They gathered a list of trustworthy suppliers that will deliver all their requests through a series of implemented projects.
Knowing that clients sometimes still feel apprehensive, Aros Marine have tackled some of the biggest misconceptions about alternative materials:
Alternatives can save money only by minimising quality – MYTH!
Alternatives can reduce your budget without compromising quality. Product design is a long process and usually, creators do not have the time or resources to complete a full alternative analysis. It means they work with the same suppliers and usually, it means that prices remain high. For instance, after completing full alternative research we usually reduce the price by 20 – 25 % without compromising product quality or aesthetic.
Another reason why clients say no to alternatives is the need to maintain a long list of suppliers, which can be hard to manage. It can definitely become a tedious process but by creating a systematic approach and having a good relationship with most of your suppliers, you can reduce pricing by a minimum of 20 %.
A person researching alternatives solutions can not be called a designer – MYTH!
People working in design labs have a lot of experience and expertise in design and often work directly with the sketching, design and engineering teams. They have full understanding of product design which makes the process of alternatives research an easy and enjoyable task.
Alternatives research is for cost reduction purposes only – MYTH!
The research conducted by Aros Marine also benefits clients through weight reduction. Having more than ten years experience in a market allows them to find the best wooden, glass and stone solutions which can reduce weight to 10–20 %.
If you’d like to get in contact with Aros Marine to talk about any of the services discussed in this article, they will be exhibiting on Stand #362 at Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Europe, 2–3 December, at the ExCel Centre in London.
Alternatively, contact them at their website www.arosmarine.com